President Joe Biden said Pope Francis told him on Friday that he’s “a good Catholic” who should continue to receive Holy Communion. The comments widen the rift between the pope and a group of U.S. bishops because of the president’s support for abortion rights. The Vatican declined to comment on the veracity of Biden’s statement.
Read More(OPINION) If an American Jew suggested what I am about to quote, they might be hauled into the court of Jewish opinion, excoriated in some quarters and lauded in others. But these are the thoughts of Israelis who, while grateful for U.S. aid, find in recent events reasons to reevaluate that part of the relationship.
Read More(OPINION) The Guy suggests that something far deeper than just a chatter-fest among self-appointed Twitter leaders is occurring in the Trump Era, which continues, to some degree — something that has the potential to wound or reshape what has been the largest and most dynamic segment of American religion: evangelical Protestants.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Oak Flat is regarded as holy by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, but it rests on about 40 billion pounds of copper. In 2014, legislation was passed by the U.S. government to transfer the land to the Resolution Copper mining company. This year, the tribe is fighting back in a case that tells us all something about what it means to be human.
Read MorePatrick and Katie Beth McCarthy see the baseball diamond as a mission field — a way to introduce players, many recruited from difficult backgrounds, to Jesus. Adoption is a big part of their story, too. Last year, the Family Guidance Center of Alabama recognized the McCarthys with one of its “Families of the Year” awards.
Read MoreA new study shows that young Americans increasingly distanced themselves from religious institutions like churches, mosques and synagogues in 2020 — which they feel don’t care about social justice issues important to them. Instead, they found spirituality in practices like tarot card readings while sharing fears and musings in online spaces.
Read More(OPINION) When political scientists and pollsters discuss faith and politics, one of their biggest challenges is separating the true believers from those who merely say they are believers. It's kind of like distinguishing between "football fans" and "FOOTBALL FANS," said John C. Green, a trailblazer in studies of politics, pulpits and pews.
Read MoreMany pastors around the U.S. and the world are wondering how and when church life can transition back into real-life gatherings, with church members weaned off the safety and convenience of online church. ReligionUnplugged.com spoke to a dozen pastors from Africa to America to hear about the challenges of digital church post pandemic.
Read More(OPINION) With a controversial Catholic in the White House, there was no way for Cardinal Wilton Gregory to face a pack of Beltway journalists without fielding political questions. But he mainly praised the mainstream press for pushing issues linked to racism and social justice, and encouraged them to keep promoting civility.
Read MoreWith all the ominous things taking place in America — and there are certainly quite a few — perhaps none is more ominous than this: Parents are being demonized. Moms and dads have become he enemy. It is now the government — or the education system — vs. those entrusted with raising the next generation.
Read More(OPINION) When does life begin? The religion guy’s answer: Those four words are regularly posed in the current abortion debate, so let's scan the lines in pregnancy that have been drawn by experts — religious and secular — in the past.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Despite it being almost two weeks since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, the fallout and reaction from that private audience continues to reverberate across the American political landscape. Naturally, some are concerned about how the news media we consume have covered it all.
Read More(OPINION) In an age in which satire and news often overlap, it was hard to know what to make of this headline: "New York Atheists Claim Religious Exemption From Vaccine After Governor Claims That It's From God." This was satire from the Babylon Bee, but the barbed humor focused on real quotes that raised eyebrows on the cultural left and right.
Read MoreKidnappings in Haiti have surged by 300% this year, largely due to the 400 Mawozo gang that recently kidnapped 17 American and Canadian missionaries. Some news reports indicate gangs control up to half of Port-au-Prince and are kidnapping police officers, business people and ministers, even interrupting a sermon to kidnap a pastor.
Read MoreIn life, Colin Luther Powell, the son of Jamaican Anglican immigrants, rose to become an Army general, a White House aide to four presidents and the first Black American to serve as the United States secretary of state. Powell passed away Oct. 18 at age 84 due to complications of COVID-19.
Read MoreAfter backlash from church-state separation groups — who say PPP loan forgiveness from the U.S. government should not be accepted by religious organizations — Joel Osteen’s megachurch is repaying millions of dollars it borrowed to provide full salaries and benefits to its 370 employees during the pandemic.
Read More(OPINION) For a variety of reasons, many African Americans face barriers to mental health care. But as a sociologist who focuses on community-based organizations, Brad Fulton finds that strengthening relationships between churches and mental health providers can be one way to increase access to needed services.
Read MoreEngiven is a cryptocurrency donation management platform formed in 2018. Its roster of churches and charities includes major groups such as The Salvation Army, Compassion International and March of Dimes, and CEO James Lawrence predicts it’ll be serving 1,000 clients by the end of 2021.
Read More(OPINION) It remains true to this day that “money is a root of all kinds of evil” — as Paul said, writing in 1 Timothy 6:10 — which is why greed can corrupt the best of us if we are not careful. And that’s why it shouldn’t surprise us if Big Pharma, along with the abortion industry, has been influenced by greed. Why should they be exempt?
Read MoreLarry Holley of Grand Blanc, who is the pastor of Abundant Life Ministries in Flint, and Patricia Gray of Flint were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2018 on several counts of fraud and money laundering. Both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and received prison sentences this month.
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